The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7219 p551
12 October 2002

Society summary

Pharmacists lobby SNP leaders

The importance of a pharmacy input to the formulation of health care policy in Scotland was emphasised by Scottish pharmacists when they lobbied leading members of the Scottish National Party at the recent four-day SNP conference in Inverness.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland was represented at the conference by members from the Northern Scottish and Moray and Banff branches. During the conference, Findlay Hickey (deputy secretary, RPSiS), Maurice Hickey (public relations officer, Moray and Banff branch) and Steven Kayne (executive member, RPSiS), had an hour-long interview with the SNP's shadow depute minister for health and community care in the Scottish Parliament, Shona Robison, to explain how the party, as a force in Scottish politics, can support the profession. A similar message was given to the leader of the SNP Westminster parliamentary group, Alex Salmond, who was party leader from 1990 to 2000.

Throughout the conference, the RPSiS representatives handed out copies of the new brochure, "A healthy Scotland" (PJ, 31 August, p300), which outlines pharmacy's role in improving Scotland's health.

Also represented at the conference was the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council, which carried out health checks on delegates. The SNP conference was the last of this year's four main Scottish political party conferences, all of which were attended by representatives of pharmacy.

The RPSiS Executive has recently appointed a working party to produce a document listing ways in which pharmacy can contribute positively to Scotland's health. The document will be submitted to all the Scottish political parties, which are currently putting together their policies in anticipation of the May 2003 Scottish elections. The RPSiS hopes that party leadership will acknowledge the importance of pharmacy input to facilitate a more efficient journey through the National Health Service for patients, and will recognise pharmacy's achievements and potential within their own election manifestos.